Hat making machinery



Oct. 11, 1932. P. c. DONNER HAT MAKING MACHINERY Fii ed Aug. 22, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEY F Oct. 11, p- DONNER 1,882,003

HAT MAKING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 22, 1950 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY 7 ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1932. P. c. DONNER HAT MAKING MACHINERY Filed Aug. 22, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11,1932

unrrn STATES PATENT oF-Ficr.

Prairie 0. nonnnn, on SUMMIT, NEW annsnnassrenonro Inn CHA PAL nommn' conronnrron, or NEWARK, new JERSEY, A conronarrron or nnw JERSEY nA'r Maxine MACHINERY Applieationfiled August 22, 1930. Serial No. 477,055.

This invention relates to improvements in hat-making machinery, and the invention has reference, more particularly, to improvemcnts in that type of hat body stretching machines known to the industry as tip-stretchers. I

In tip-stretching machines as heretofore constructed and used, the clamp ringsyof the hat body supporting cage, when in operative relation to the stretching fingers-are maintained immovable from. axial or vertical alignment with the path of reciprocable movement of the stretching fingers. A's a consequence of this fixed relation, undue stretching strains are applied to the tip or apex portion ofthe hat body, with the result that the stretching operation tendsvto unduly deformsuch portion of the hatbody, causing an undesirable bulge at'the apex of the same,

: termed in the industry a button. Such defective formation. is difl'icultand sometimes even impossible to cure when submitting. the.

stretched hat body to subsequent blocking, shaping. and finishing operations, therefore giving rise to loss and over production of seconds, all of which is wasteful and highly undesirable.

* It is the principal object of this invention to provide improvements 1n the constructlon and mode of operation of tip stretching machines whereby the formation of buttonsduring the stretching operations'is avoided, and whereby the stretching effects are more evenly anduniformly applied to the hat body,

F? with the result that a superior product is obtained with minimum risk or waste. To this end, the invention comprises the provisionof means for imparting to the clamp ringsof the hat body supporting cage of a tip stretching machine, and the hat body gripped thereby, an oscillatory movement about the vertical axis thereof when rotated beneath the vertically reciprocated stretching fingers of the machine. to subject theha-t body to the :7- stretching action thereof.

tion is shown in the accompanying drawings, in'which: Figure 1 is a stretcher machine provided with the improved features of'this'inventiom'Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the same, I I taken on line 22;in Figurel, and-drawn 0n 7 a somewhat enlarged scale; and Figurefiis another fragmentary vertical section, taken on line 33 in Figure 2. r 1 Similar characters ofreference are employed-in all of thehereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to said drawings,thereference character 5 indicates the's-ide frames ofthe machine, which are laterally spaced apart front elevation tip and suitably interconnected to provide the supporting framework for the operating mechanism of the machine J ournaled J to extend laterally through the lower portions of said side frames 5 asuitably driven main shaft 6.

Arranged at theupper end of the'machine is a cross-head '7' supported for vertical-reciprocation by slide rods 8I'whieh are slidably mounted in connection with said. side frames 5', and the lower ends 'ofwhichare connectedwith a lower crosshead 9.; Verti-- V cal reciprocable movement isimparted to saidlower cross-head 9, slide-rods 8- and upper cross-head 7 by eccentrics 1O actuated by the main shaft 6; the connecting rods'll of -said eccentrics being pivotally coupled withsaid lower cross-head 9. m Centrally depending from said upper cross-head 7 is a threaded column 12 on which are .adjustably sup-ported the-radially air]- rangeddownwardly and outwardly divergent I stretcher fingers 18, in the manner common; 1y employed in tip-stretching machines.v

Suitably mounted in the lower portion of the machine, in axial alignment with the column 12 and its stretcher fingers 13', is a vertically movable: post lt on the upper end of which is carried the hat body supporting cage structure to be presently described.

J ournaled to extend laterally'throughtlre d lower portions of said side: frames 5,. behind the malnshaft 6, is a secondary drive shaft 15 on; which is fixed a lift ,camldrwhieh ope crates to raise and lower the post 14. 7 Suitably fixed in the rearward portion of the machine framework is :a. fulcrum shaft 17. on which is pivoted a forwardly extending I lever frame 18, thelatter being above said lift cam. Mounted between the arms-cf said lever frame 18 is an anti-friction roller which is engaged byesaid lift-cam 16'. Fixed on the lower portion of said post 14 is a collar 19 having laterally and oppositely proj cting studs 20, and interconnected between said studs and the forward free ends-.of saidlever frame arms are links 21.

' Said secondary shaft is driven from the main. shaft 6 as follows Journaled in and between the side frames 5 is a counter shaft 22. Said counter'sha-ft 22 isdrivenat desired speed ratio from. said main shaft 6 by intermediate variable speed pulley and belt transmission 23, or in any; other wellknown manner. Connectedin they 7 11116 of said counter-shaft 22 is'a suitable post 14 which carries the hat body supporting cage of the machine is all typicalof tip stretching machines. as heretofore used and Wlll be familiar tothose skilled in the art in which such machines areutilized.

The hat body supporting cage comprises a sleeve or hub 27 which is mounted forlimited sliding movement on. the upper end ofsaid post 14. Connected with'said sleeve'or hub is a horizontal'base plate 28 from the upper side of which r186 the arcuate cage members 29, the samebeing radial to the vertical-axis of the post 14 and arranged tojmeet at their upper ends so as to provide what tip. support, The spaces between adjacent cage members-29 provide recesses'in which the stretcherfingers 13 of the machine work in the usual mannerl. The lower-end of said sleeve or hub 27 possesses a diametricallyfenlarged portion 30, to the opposite sides of ..which 'are pivotally connected links 31.

Fixed on said post 14' below said sleeve or hub 27 i is a c0llar'32 having'a fulcrum arm 33 for pivotally mounting a lever means 34.

- The links 31 are pivotally connected with the inner end of said lever means 34, and a weight 35 is suspended by the rod 36 from the outer end of said lever means. The weighted lever means serves to yieldably bias 5 said hat body supporting cage to its upwardly moved, position on said post 14, inthe manner usual totip stretching machines.

Associated with said hat body supporting cage, and mounted for rotation andoscillation relativ'e thereto byme'ans of a universal .hat body supporting cage.

The

mounting to be presently described, is an annular carrier ring 37 which is provided on its upper outermarginalportionwith a seat 7 38 to receive and hold a male clamp ring 39 dlsposed to surround the base plate 28 of said Said clamp ring is preferably provided with a resilient facing member 40 of suitable material, such e. g. i as rubber.

v The universalmounting to in range'said male clamp rmg for rotation and oscillation relative to said hat body support ing cage, comprises ahub 41 rotatable on said sleeve or hub 27 above its enlarged portion a yoke 42 having diametrically oppositely extending arms 43. Connected 'with said hub 41-are perforate9ears 44 parallel to said yoke arms 43. Oppositely extending links 45 are pivotally. connected by their inner ends to said cars 44 to extend parallel to said ,i30. Pivoted-to'said hub 41, on a'horizontal axis transverse to the axis of said post 14, is

yoke arms43. 'Pivotally connected by their 7 links 46, to which the outer ends of said links 45 are alsopivotally' connected. The upper ends of said vertical-links 46 terminate in ball joint elements 47 whichipivotally engage in sockets 48 provided in the underside of said carrier ring37, thus providing an axis of oscillatory movement for the latter at right angles to the aXis-ofoscillatory movement of lower'ends to said yoke arms 43 are vertical is a female clamping ring 49, which is operatively supported by a rotatable and oscil latable carrierring- 50. Connected with the side framesg5 of the machine are bearmg housings 51 in which are mounted vertically movable bearing blocks 52 to journal the trunnions 53' of a bearing yoke 54 in which said carrier ring is rotatably supported. Said bearing blocks 52 are yieldably pressed by compression springs 52' toward the lower ends 'of the ways'provided thereforin the bearing. housings 51, thus yieldably biasing said carrier ring and its female clamp ring 49 toward said male clamp ring 39. The means for imparting rotary movement to said carrier ring 50 and its female clamping ring'49, comprises,ahorizontally disposed'ring bearing 55 rigidly secured to the side frames '5 by brackets 56. Said ring bearing 55 isprovided with an upstanding annular'bearing flange 56 on which is jour naled'aring gear 57. Said ring gear 57 is provided on its upper side with an inwardly projecting flange 58. which overhangs said bearing flange'56. Interconnected between said ring gear flange 5'8 and said carrier ring 50 are coupling connections, preferably of yieldable form, such 'e. as the spring @011 plers 59. The means-for driving said ring gear preferably comprise a vertical shaft" 60 driven from said secondary drive shaft 15 by the gearing 61, and secured to the upper end of saidvertical shaft 60 is a spur gear 62 to mesh with and drive said ring gear57.

V The'mea-ns for imparting oscillatory move:

mentto the carrier ring 50 and the female clamp ring 49 comprises an outwardly pro jecting arm 63 connected with said bearing yoke' 54, the same extending rearwardly of the machine. Pivotally mounted on a bracket 64 supported by the framework. the machine is a rocking-lever 65, the inner end of which is pivotally connectedwith the free end of said arm 63 by means of a link 66. bracket 67, in the lower part of the. machine, is an actuating lever 68,-th'e outer end of which is coupled wlth the outer end of said rocking lever 65 by a connecting rod 69.

Fixed on said secondary drive shaft 15, so as to be rotated thereby, is a CELIH'WVhQElYO having in its face a suitably shaped cam race 71. The inner end of said actuating lever 68 is provided with a roller stud 72 to operatively engage in said cam race 71.

any suitable actuating means, preferably operated by the lever frame 18 through the connecting rod 77 in the manner usual to tip stretching machines, a-ndwherebysteam is discharged from the nozzle 73 to soften a hat body supported on the hat body supporting cage when subjected to the stretching action of the re'cip-rocated stretching fingers 13. Q

In the operation of the tip stretching ma chine, a hat body B (see Fig. 2) is engaged over the supporting cage while the sameis lowered to inactive position. When the hat body B is thus mounted, the clutch means 24 is manipulated to drive the secondary drive shaft 15 from the main shaft 6 through the intermediate transmission mechanism, of which said clutch means forms a part. As the secondary drive shaft 15 turns, the lift cam 16 will operate the lever frame 18 to elevate the post 14, whereby the hat body supporting cage and the hat body B thereon is raised into operative relation to the vertically reciprocating stretcher fingers 13. The marginal portions of the hat body B are disposed over the male clamp ring 39, so that as the hat body is carried upwardly, such marginal portions will be carried into contact with the female clamp ring 49, so as to be gripped between the same and said male clamp ring. To assure snug fitting of the hat body on the supporting cage, the male compression springs 5250f Pivotally mounted on a'fixedfulcrum clamp will initiallyyieldto the pres sure of the female "clamp ring49 to the ex-' tent of.downward*inovement of the sleeve or hub 27 on the post 14-against the biasing pullso-f the weight 35,-and until said sleeveor hub 27 isstopped against the fixed collar 32, thereby assuring thatthe hat body will be pulled smoothly and evenly over the supporting-cage members, and then finally gripped between theclamp'rings 39 and 49, [5

as the limit of upward movement. of post p 14 is approached and the upward thrust of theinale clamp ring 39is" opposed by'the ring carrying means Theoperatio-n of the secondarydriveshaft the female clamp 15' 111mm drives the rin ear-57" the ro- V tary motion'of which is transmitted through the coupling springs 59 to the carrier ring 50 and female clamp ring 49, which thereupon rotates in horizontal plane'causing a rotation of the gripped hat body B and male clam rin 39; Accom Jan in th-is rotative movement of the clamp rings and hat body relative to the hat body supporting cage, a rocking movement is imparted thereto through the cam actuated rocking lever 65.

The combined rotating and rocking 'move-' ine nt' thus imparted to the hat-body B is oscillatory in character, and is permitted by reason of the universal mounting by which the male clamp ring39- issupported. The

oscillatorymovement thus imparted to" the hatbody B shifts the same back a-nd forth or from sidetO-"side over the relatively'sta- 1 tionary hat body supporting cagefso that the tip or apex of the hat body Bis shifted from side to sideor back and forth, while undergoing the stretching treatment exer-H cised thereon by the vertically reciprocated stretching fingers'l By reason of-"such shiftlng the stretching strains are not unduly concentrated at the tip or apex of the hat body but are -more evenly-';distributed from such tip or apex toward the sides there} of, and consequently tendency to unduly bulge thetip or apex portions, with resultant'formation ofunde'sired buttons in" the stretched hat bodies is entirely eliminated,

, and a more perfectly and uniformly stretched hat'bodyis'attainejd; 4 i As many changes-could b e made in the above described improvedconstruction of hat tip stretching macl1ine,and many apparently 7 widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itis intendedjthat all mat ten contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall ,1, be interpreted as lllustrative and not in a limiting sense. v

i What is claimed is j 1. In a machine of the kind described, vertically reciprocable stretching fingers, a sup porting cage to hold'a hat body subject to lOO I the action of said stretching fingers, a female clamp means, means to rotate. said female V clamp means about the vertical axis of the supported hat body engaged therewith to turn the latter on such axis, means to simultaneouslyrock said female clamp means on atransverse horizontal axis at right angles to the axis of rotation to oscillatorially shift the supported hat 'body during rotation thereof, a male clamp meanscooperative with said female clamp means to grip the hat body inoperative connection therewith, means to mount said male clamp means for rotation about the vertical axis of saidsupported hat body, and a universal connection between said latterm'eans and said male clamp means.

2. In a machineof the kind described, ver tically reciprocable stretchingfingers, a sup porting cage having an axial sleeve, a carry ing post on which saidsleeve is-mounted, a

hub rotatable on said sleeve beneath said supporting cage, a male clamp. ring around the base of saidsupporting cage, a universal coupling means intermediate said hub'and said male clamp ring whereby the latter may turn about the'vertic'al axis of supporting cage and at the same time oscillate laterally, a female clamp ring with which'said male clamp. ringcooperates, a carrier ring, for said female clamp ring,;a yoke-frame to support said carrier ring, said yoke-frame being pivoted to oscillate on'an axis transverse to'the vertical axis of said supporting cage, said 'car- 4. In a machineof the kind described, vertically-reciprocable stretching fingers, a cage to support a hat body subject to the action of said stretching fingers, means to clamp the brim portions of a hat body when supported on said cage, means to rotate said ,7

clamp meansabout the vertical axis of said cage to turn the supported hat body, and Vmeans to'rock said clamp means during rota- 5'. In a machine'of the kinddescribed,

and cooperating means for rotating andfl rocking said clamp ringswhereby the latter are adapted to turn the hat body axially while at the same time shifting said hat-body back and forth transversely of the axis of said cage.

forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of August, 1930,

In testimony, that I claim the invention set PHILIP o. BONNER;

rierring being freely rotatable in said yoke I frame, means to transmitf'rotary' motion to said carrier ring, and means'to oscillate said yoke frame during rotation of said carr er r ng. v

V 3. In amachine of the kind described, vertically reciprooable' stretching fingers, a supporting cage'having an axial sleeve,-a carrying post onwhich said sleeve is mounted, a hub rotatableon said sleeve beneath said supporting cage, a male clamp ring around the base of said supporting cage, a universal coupling means intermediatesaid hub and said male clamp ring whereby thelatter may turn about the vertical axis of supporting cage and at the same time'oscillate laterally, a female clamp ring'with which said male clamp ring cooperates, a carrier ring for said female clamp ring, a yoke-frame to support said carrier ring, said yoke-frame being pivoted to oscillate on an axis transverse to the vertical axis of "said supporting cage, said carrier ring being freely rotatable in said yoke frame, means to transmit rotary motion to said carrier ring, and means to oscillate said yoke frame during rotation of said carrier ring, said latter means comprising a rocking lever, said yoke frame having an outward projecting arm with which one end of said rocking lever is pivotally connected, and

cam controlled actuating means connected" with the other end ofsaidrocking. lever. 

